The boss of the trust which runs Whipps Cross Hospital is to stand down after six years.

Peter Morris, chief exectutive of Barts Health NHS Trust, said he has guided the trust through a period of "unprecedented change".

He has overseen the merger of three hospitals to form the country's biggest trust.

Mr Morris, who will stay in his role until a replacement is found, said: “When I joined Barts and The London NHS Trust, I set myself a target of five years to overhaul the fragile network of acute services that were operating in east London, and deliver the improvements to local healthcare that were so desperately needed.

“Barts Health is now well established and many of its services are achieving national recognition for excellence in clinical care.

“As Barts Health moves towards Foundation Trust status there is a need for senior management continuity to provide leadership for the next five years, and beyond.

“That is a long-term commitment that I am not able to make and so I feel the time is right for me to hand over to a new chief executive, and start the next chapter in my own career.”

Barts Health was reported earlier this year to have a deficit of £64 million for 2014-15.

Chief Nurse at Barts Health, Professor Kay Riley, has announced that she will retire at the end of October after 30 years with the NHS,

The results of a Care Quality Commission inspection of the hopsital are due out later this year.